Feed mechanism for firearms



July 1, 1952 c. E. BRUSH FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS l lllllllll llllllllllllllllll I.

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July 1, 1952 c. E. BRUSH FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS 5 Sheets-Sheet {2 awe/V702 64 V05 E. Beam:

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nwewrae, El A-YDE E. seas M/ Wm Patented July 1, 1952 UNITED FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Clyde E. Brush, Oakland, Calif.

Application May 14, 1948, Serial No; 27,063

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to firearms and particularly to the feed mechanism of repeating firearms, especially of the semi-automatic types, but applicable also to manually operated repeating firearms.

One common type of feeding mechanism comprises a tubular magazine, which has a comparatively high capacity but is not easy to load with cartridges, and often causes deformation of the pointof the 'bullet. Another "type, known as box magazine type, makes use oi a magazine for holding cartridges side by side parallel to the gun barrel axis; this type may make use of clips and avoids deformation of the cartridge but has a limited capacity unless an inconveniently long magazine-is employed. A further disadvantage of "magazines of great length as used heretofore has been the inconvenience of using clips to maintain a large number of cartridges therein in alignment. When cartridges are placed individually within long clips'side by side the bullets rub against a wall of the magazine, causing wear, particularly in the case of lead and similar soft-metal bullets. The capacity of such magazines have, moreover, been limited'also 'by the circumstance that, in-the case of rimmed cartridges, thediam'eters are-greatest at one end; this causes a bow effect, in which the successive cartridges are not parallel but :have their axes convergent toward a'point or points in the direction of the bullets.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved feed mechanism for repeating firearms, including semi-automatic and manually operated types, which incorporates the above stated advantages of the tubular magazine with those of the horror clip type magazines. More particularly, 'it is an object of the invention to provide a feed mechanism which will feed cartridges from a large capacity magazine which is convenient to load, withoutd'eforming the cartridge by spring pressure or rubbing "against-the side wall of themaga'zine'orby'the bumping'togather of one bullet with the'base of the "next cartridge as is comfnon to all tubular magazines.

Ancillary thereto, it is an object to provide an are lifted safely and-efiectively without deformation or misplacement, and without interference with the movement of the breech "bolt. A further, specific object, is to provide an improved lifter mechanism of the type :described comprising a frusto-conical, rotatable lifter having radial ribs forming grooves thereon and adapted, upon rotation to transfer a cartridge from a magazine to a position in rear of and slightly below the axis of the barrel bore while simultaneously effecting .a change in the direction of the axis of the cartridge. .A still further specific object is to provide a rotary lifter with radial ribs forming grooves .thereon which will receive cartridges from a box type magazine and hit them to a point .in rear of and near the .barrel axis while effecting'a c'ha'ngeinithe orientation of the cartridge axes, whereby .the magazine may be given a comparatively large capacity-rand the magazine can be placed in a convenient position on the firearm, e. g., within tthest'ock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a repeating firearm having a stock, e. g., .a Wood stock, and a high-capacity, box-type magazine located within 'or along side or the stock, whereby the weapon is provided with a high capacity for storing cartridges "while retaining the customary external shape -or outline of said firearm.

In the preferred type of magazine the cartridgesare retained in two alternating 'rows, the cartridges-oi'one rowbeing skew with respect to those of the other row, whereby the rims of adjacent cartridges are kept out of contact with eachother wvhereby the bow effect is avoided. Alternating rows,iasused'herein, is intended to denote an arrangement wherein every'other cartridge forms one row (within which the cartridgesareparallel to-one 'another) and the alternating cartridges constitute another row.

A further object is to :provide an improved mechanism onthe rifle for cooperation with a magazinehaving a spring-pressed followerplate and meansior maintaining the followerplate in a fixed iposition' against-the-action of its-spring until the magazine has been inserted within or attached to a firearm, the said mechanism and means being arranged to restore-the'spring to its operative'condition when .the magazine'ha's been placed intoposition on thefirearm.

"Still further objects of the invention will he come apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this-specification. and showing the said embodiment, wherein:

Fig. 1 isa ri-ghtside elevation of therear part of a semi-automatic rifle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the stock removed;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation view, showing a portion of the butt plate and the cover plate for the magazine well;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation View of the rotatable lifter;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the lifter, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c are right side, front and bottom views, respectively, of the breech bolt;

Figs. 7a and 7b are right side and front views, respectively, of the rear lifter support;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view through the stock and magazine, taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, vertical longitudina1 sectional view of the rear portion of the firearm with the breech bolt retracted;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal, sectional view taken on line [0-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a still further enlarged, vertical sectional view showing the lifter and front end of the magazine without cartridges;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along broken section line |2|2 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 13 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along line I3I 3 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a section line just to the right of the magazine with the breech bolt forward;

Fig. 15 is transverse sectional view taken on line |5--I5 of Fig. 14; and

Figs. 16 to 23, inclusive, are transverse sectional views taken on correspondingly numbered section lines of Fig. 9, looking in the respective directions of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a semi-automatic type of rifle of the blow-back form, that is, of the form in which the breech bolt is driven back directly by the pressure of the gases resulting from the burning of the propelling charge within the cartridge and within the bore of the barrel. The combinations of parts constituting the invention are, however, applicable also to other forms of semi-automatic and manually operated repeating arms, and it will be understood that the illustration and description of my invention with reference to this particular blow-back type is only for the purpose of illustration and deflniteness of description. Therefore, no claims are herein laid to originality of this type of breechbolt, hammer safety, breech-bolt spring, firing pin, etc., but rather the claims herein contained will apply to the magazine arrangement which permits an unusually great capacity and/or em bodied the features heretofore outlined in stating the objects of the invention and described hereafter, and the lifter and parts associated therewith, together with all arrangements incident thereto, as shown and hereafter described, which I, as inventor, deem desirable and/or necessary for the safety and convenience of the user of a rifle so constructed.

As shown in the drawings, the barrel is of usual form and has mounted immediately on and to the rear of its breech a chambered receiver 26 in which are reciprocatingly mounted the breech bolt 21 and the hammer 28 (Figs. 9 and 14) both of generally cylindrical form. The breech bolt, upon being driven to the rear when a shot is fired, or when retracted manually, is retained in its rearward position by a vertical plunger 29 controlled by the trigger 30. When the trigger is retracted the plunger 31 permits the hammer 28 to move forwardly under the action of the main spring 32. These parts, as well as the trigger springs, firing pin, etc., being in themselves well known in the art, need not be further described herein.

Located close to the breech of the barrel, and generally below the forward end of the receiver, there is located the rotatable lifter 33, shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, of generally conical shape and having a journal pin 34 formed integrally therewith at its upper, apex end, and a similar, hollow journal 35 formed integrally therewith at its base. The lifter has smooth bearing surfaces about these axially-arranged journals which permit the conical lifter to turn freely about the axis thus established when journalled in fixed mounts provided therefor. The upper mount, shown in detail in Figs. 7a and 7b, is secured to the receiver, and consists of a support 36 having its upper face shaped to permit the bolt to slide over it and having a forward projection 36a to act as an ejector for freeing an empty cartridge from the breech bolt. The lower mount is in the form of a plate 3'! (Figs. 9, 11, 12 and 14) screwed at its forward end to the receiver and to the barrel and shaped to fit the receiver at its forward, upper end. It is further shaped to have a downwardly extending portion perpendicular to the axis of the conical lifter and has a hole acting as a bearing for the journal 35. The conical lifter is situated, as shown, at the rear of the breech of the barrel, and immediately below it, with its axis inclined downwardly toward the front at an angle to the barrel axis of about half the apex angle of the cone, so that the upper face of the cone, as viewed from the side, is essentially parallel to the bore line. The lifter has formed therein a plurality, e. g., two cylindrical, round-bottomed recesses 38 spaced equally about the circumference of the cone and parallel to the conical face, and of a size to accommodate a live cartridge of the type to be fired to about three fourths of the diameter snugly but without binding. The recesses extend generally longitudinally on the cone.v In the form shown, they are exactly longitudinal, i. e., they lie in planes passing through the cone axis and extend parallel to the cone surface. The rear end of each recess (toward the smaller end of the cone) is provided with a semi-circular groove 38a adapted to receive the rim of a cartridge. At the rear of each recess the side walls are widened to provide outwardly and forwardly inclined cam surfaces 38b adapted to lift the rear end of the cartridge as the rim thereof slides along the surface. The surface 381), therefore, starts as the base of the groove 38a and slopes away from the cone surface (i. e., outwardly from the axis of the recess 38) at an angle which depends upon the size of the cartridge and the amount of lift desired for the rear end of the cartridge as it is moved into the rifle bore. The lifter is further provided with a bore perpendicular to the cone axis and of a diameter somewhat less than that of the cartridge and extending through the bases of opposite recesses 38 at points forwardly of the midpoints thereof. This bore accommodates a plunger or rod 39 which is of a length somewhat longer than the length of the bore, the exact length being determined by the amount of lift desired for the front end of the cartridge during the loading operation, as will be described hereafter. The plunger 39 is recessed at one side thereof at an intermediate portion to permit a crosspin 40 to be inserted through another bore substantially at right angles to the cone axis and to the axis of the plunger (Figs. 9, 11 and 23). The crosspin 40 prevents the plunger 39 from sliding out of its bore beyond predetermined limits fixed by the ends of the intermediate recess, which come into contact with the crosspin.

The purpose of the plunger 39 is to reflect the pressure of cartridges in the magazine, which are constantly urged forwardly toward the conical lifter by yieldingly tensioned means comprising a follower spring, hereinafter described, in a direction substantially against the lower face of the cone. This pressure is reflected by means of the plunger 39 against the lower side of a cartridge which, in the cycle of reloading the bore with a live cartridge, is found to occupy the uppermost recess 38 in the lifter. The latter cartridge is positioned in its recess parallel to the bore line and just beneath it, its upper surface being at about the level of the lowermost part of the breech chamber. The lower end of the plunger 39 is, in this part of the loading cycle, projecting into the 1ower recess 38 and is engaged by the forward cartridge in the magazine. This urges the plunger forwardly and upwardly, and lifts the front end of the cartridge in the upper recess 38.

The lifter is constantly urged to rotate in one direction by any resilient means. This may derive energy from the recoil or operation of the breech bolt, or from any other source, and I do not wish to limit myself to any specific arrangement for rotating the lifter. For purposes of specific description, I have provided a helically wound torsion spring 4| (Fig. 9) supported about a spring guide 42 anchored at its forward end to a projection on the rear end of the tubular hub of a bevel gear 43. The bevel gear 43 is rotatably mounted within a bushing 44 fixed to the stock (Figs. 9 and 22) and meshes with bevel gear 45 journalled through its vertical shaft in a bushing 46, likewise fixed to the stock. The vertical shaft has a fiat winding lever 41 pivotally connected to the lower end thereof and shaped to accommodate the forefinger of the user. It is adapted to seat in a recess in the stock, as shown in the drawings, being normally maintained in such position by the returning torque of the spring which forces lever 41 into a slight undercut in the stock. For winding the spring 4| the winding lever is pulled downwardly from its recess to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and turned manually, thereby turning the bevel gears 45 and 43. When the spring has been wound the lever is again raised into its recess, thereby preventing the turning of the bevel gears and the unwinding of the spring.

The rear end of the spring 4] is anchored to a circular plug 48 having a bore to receive the spring guide 42 and rotatably mounted within a bushing 49 secured to the stock (Fig. 21) The plug 48' has a rearwardly extending shaft with a radial blade entering a groove or screw-driver slot in a second circular plug 50, rotatably mounted in a bushing 51 secured to the barrel by a dovetailed connection (Figs. 9 and 20). The bushing 5| also serves as an anchor for a screw 52 having a threaded engagement therewith and extending through the stock for securing the latter to the barrel. The plug 50 has a flexible cable 53, such as a helical wire cable, secured into a central hole in its rear'face. The cable extendsrearwardly througli'a large recess in the stock and into the bore of the journal 35 of the lifter 33, which journal extends through a hole in the support plate 31. The cable may be anchored to the plug 59 and lifter 33 in any desired manner, e. g., by set screws; in the embodiment shown I rely upon frictionby using ahelical wire cable 53 which is mounted to transmit torque from spring 4| so as to tend to unwind its turns. The cable may be inserted into the holes in the plug 50 and litter 33 by turning the cable relativelyto these partsin a direction tending to unwind the helix; this permits the cable to enter by a screw-like action. During operation, stress tends to enlarge the helical cable, urging its sides against the sides and bottoms of the holes and insuring sufficient friction to transmit the necessary torque to the lifter.

The support plate 31 serves-not only to journal the lower journal 35 of the lifter, but also to carry a conical guide shell 54 (Fig. 12) surrounding the lifter 33. The shell 54 is open at the bottom and top to permit cartridges to enter the recesses 38 at the bottom and to leave the recesses at the top. Intermediate the top and bottom the inner face of the shell retains the cartridge, which is indicated by the reference character C in the drawings, preventing the same from falling out of the recess during the rotation of the lifter 33. The interior surface of the guide shell is conical, and of a size to fit closely over the cartridge withoutbinding; it may have a circular groove opposite to the groove 38a to accornmodate the rim of the cartridge, but this feature is optional and may be avoided by the expedient of making the rear portion of the guide shell slightly wider, i. e., by giving the guide shell a slightly smaller apex angle than that of the conical lifter 33. While I have, for structural reasons, provided a shell 54 with sidewalls both at the left and right, it is apparent that such wall is needed and is operative only on the side on which the lifter rises when rotated (i. e., on the right side, in the embodiment shown) because the recess 38 is empty when descending; hence the guide shell need not have a side wall on the other side.

The stock 55 has an elongated hole 55 of generallytrapezoidal cross sectionfor receiving the magazine, with the wider of the two unequal faces at the top and with a smaller rectangular recess 56a in the right face (Fig. 16) The hole 56 is conveniently formed by ripping the stock, i. e., cutting it into two sections along a vertical, longitudinal cut, and cutting the hole 55 into the cut faces by means of a shaper. The stock may be made oversize initially to cause the two parts to fit together to the desired width; if a standard stock is to be modified the wood removed in ripping'may be replaced by interposing a shim. The main, trapezoidal part of this hole is for receiving the magazine 51, while the recess on the side is provided to accommodate a longitudinal, rectangular, magazine release rod 53, positioned near its rear by screws 59. The rod 58 has small recesses on one side to accommodate the heads of the screws 59 when the rod is ro-- magazine in the hole56; The free end of the part 58a is notched to provide a forward tip adapted to enter a recess at the left side of the butt plate, as shown in Fig. 8. The rod 58 has its forward, rounded end located eccentrically and retained by a staple 6|, the staple being fixed to and within the stock. The rear end at the plate 60 also has an eccentric, pivotal support. Thus the rod 58 is given a pivotal mounting by the staple 6| and the hole in the butt plate about an eccentric axis, whereby it may be swung through 90 counterclockwise from the position shown in Figs. 16-19. This turning movement is effected by swinging the rear bar 58a downwardly about the pivotal mounting; this is, at the same time, effective to open the rear of the hole to permit a magazine to be inserted or withdrawn. The rod 58 is retained against rearward movement by engagement of the notch at the free end of the part 58a with the recess in the butt plate.

The top, bottom and sides of the magazine 51 may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal, bent to provide parallel top and bottom portions, an inclined, left sidewall, and two inclined, fractional right side walls 51a and 51b, leaving a slot between them (Fig. 14). The upper edge of the lower fractional side wall 51a is serrated to provide saw teeth or notches with rearwardly facing vertical or slightly undercut portions,

spaced apart at intervals corresponding to the distance occupied by one cartridge C. At the front the fractional sidewalls 51a and 51b are extended vertically to abut each other, and these right side walls, as well as the left side wall, are converged at the extreme forward end of the magazine to provide lips tapered toward a forward opening just wide enough to permit the passage of a single cartridge in a vertical plane, in alignment with the recess 38 in the lifter 33. (-See Fig. 8.) The magazine extends forwardly farther at the bottom than at the top, so as to conform to the inclination of the recess 38 at the bottom of the lifter. The rear of the magazine is closed by a back plate 62 secured to the other part by cone head screws with fiat tops. The plate 62 has a projection 62a serving as a grip by which the magazine may be retracted. The portion 58a of the rod 58 is in engagement with the projection 62h. when in its horizontal, locked position. It will be noted that the magazine back plate '62 extends laterally beyond the other parts of the magazine, so that the front face of the lateral projection abuts a portion of the butt plate 60 (Fig. 8). This insures a snug fit for the portion 58a.

The magazine has a follower 63 formed of a sheet of metal bent to engage the top and bottom of the magazine and having an inclined front section sloped to conform to the slope of the front end of the magazine and, hence, to the inclination of the recess 38 at the bottom of the lifter. The sides of the follower are open. Follower or magazine spring 64 abuts the back plate 62 and a follower insert 65 fitting slidably within the magazine to engage the four sides thereof. Insert 65 has its top and bottom notched at their forward portions to extend into the follower without friction (Fig. 11) This insert forms a movable abutment for spring 64. I prefer to construct the follower 63 to fit snugly within the magazine so as to slide freely when urged by the follower spring and. follower insert, but to remain at any previously assumed position along the length of the magazine-when the force of the spring against it is removed, by the means to be described. By this snugness the feeding of live cartridges into the magazine is facilitated in that the user can insert the cartridges from the front end While having either the follower or the previously introduced cartridge close enough to the front to facilitate positioning the cartridge as desired. As each added cartridge is inserted and pushed toward the rear, the follower will yield only as far as it is pushed manually via the cartridges.

The follower 63 has a portion of its bottom out and bent to provide a tongue 63a affording an abutment for the follower insert and insuring forward pressure at the bottom. At the top forward pressure is assured by engagement of the top, forward part of the follower insert with the inclined, front face of the follower. The follower insert 65 carries a transverse pawl 66 which is pivotally mounted therein for movement in a transverse, vertical'plane on a lonitudinal pin 61. It extends laterally through the slot between the fractional right side walls 57 a and 51b and normally rests by gravity on the serrated edge. It is notched at the end by cutting away the front, lower quadrant (Figs. 9 and 14) so that it may catch on the saw teeth and prevent the forward movement of the follower insert when resting on the serrated edge. The pawl 66 extends far enough laterally to serve as an operating handle and to rest on the rod 58, as shown in Fig. 18. As is evident from the foregoing, when the closure 58a is lowered.

the rectangular rod 58 is lying on its side, and the pawl =66 is in engagement with the saw teeth on the serrated edge of the magazine, preventing the forward action of the follower spring. When the rod 58 is turned clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 18, the pawl 66 is engaged by the edge of rod 58, lifting it above the saw teeth and permitting the follower spring to move it against the follower 63. I

Because of this arrangement, it is unnecessary to provide positive means for retainingthe cartridges within the magazine, and the converging lips at the front thereof may be spaced apart sufficiently to permit the follower spring to eject a live cartridge between them without opposition. Thus, in loading cartridges into the magazine, the operator lifts the pawl 66 to free it from the serrated edge of the side wall and permits the follower spring to advance the follower insert and follower to the front of the r magazine: he then pulls back the follower insert to the back, using the pawl 66 as a handle, andengages it with the rearmost notch, thereby compressing the follower spring and securing the follower insert in retracted position. Live cartridges may then be inserted and positioned from the front, each cartridge being inserted with the rim toward the wider, upper part of the magazine. The follower is pushed back each time a cartridge is inserted until it engages the follower insert. ,The successive cartridges are positioned so that every other one has its rim toward the right, the alternating cartridges having their rims toward the left. As a result adjacent cartridges are in engagement only forwardly of their rim portions, near or at the projecting bullets and the arcing or bow effect is avoided, because the rims are not positioned to transmit thrust. It is possible, for example, to load as many as 50 or more caliber .22: rimmed cartridges intoa magazine of a length to fit into the ordinary rifle stock in a straight line without any arcing.

There being no spring or any other form of deterrent to the exit of the cartridges from the forward end, it is evident that the forward end should not be lowered, and that the magazine is advantageously loaded and inserted into the rifle with the forward end raised, so as to avoid spilling cartridges. While the magazine is being inserted into the stock the rod 58 is necessarily on its side (to lower the transverse portion 58a) and the pawl 66 does not come into contact therewith; hence the follower spring remains blocked. After the magazinehas been pushed home to bring the front end up to the lifter 33, the end portion 58a, is swung up to look its end in the butt place 60 and lock the magazine .in place; this tilts the rod 58 up on edge .to the position shown in Fig. 18, thereby engaging the lower face of the pawl 66 and raising it to above the level of theserrations on the magazine slot. The follower insert is now free to move forwardly into and against the follower, and does so under the force of the magazine spring. This causes the follower to advance the cartridges and press the foremost cartridge against the lifter 33. Unless the lifter is oriented to have one of its recesses 38 in the lowermost position the foremost cartridge will be pressed against the smooth, conical portion of the lifter; when the lifter is turned by spring M to align one of the recesses 38 with the front of the magazine the foremost cartridge moves forwardly into the recess 38. The magazine is centered within the hole 56 by a spring gu de t8 secured to the stock by a screw.

As a result of the alternating :rows of cartridges, wherein the cartridges of each row are parallel to each other and skew with respect to cartridges of the other row, and further as a result of the inclination of the cartridges causing their noses to be farther advanced than their bases or rimmed ends, a very important improvement is achieved: As the follower advances the cartridges, the latter are not merely slid forwardly but are given a turning-motion tending to make the cartridges roll forward and upward within the magazine, thereby relieving pressure on their noses and obviating or greatly reducing wear. This feature facilitates the use of a long box type magazine without deformation of the bullets. While the magazine is being loaded the follower spring is ineffective and only slight pressure is applied to the cartridges.

According to a variant, I may provide only one notch for the pawl 66 instead of serrations along the length of the slot. I prefer, however, to use the arrangement shown because it permits the magazine to be loaded with less cartridges than capacity and still have the follower insert within close proximity to the follower, thereby avoiding extended forward motion of the follower insert and pounding when the pawl is released. For this reason it is advisable, after any desired number of cartridges have been inserted, toraise the pawl 66, move the follower insert gently forward against the follower, and again engage the pawl in-the proper notch. Moreover, by providing serrations along the length of the magazine it is possible to remove the magazine from the gun without spilling cartridges from the front. Thus, when the rod 58 is turned to lower the portion 58a the pawl is free to engage the next forward notch, regardless of its position; when themagazine is withdrawn, relieving the pressure of the 10 lifter :33 against the foremost cartridge, the follower advances within the magazine only. the distance required for the pawl 66 toengage the next notch, and the magazine may then be withdrawn completely without discharge of cartridges.

Reverting to the part of the weapon above the lifter, it will be seen in Figs. 6a-6c and23 that the breech bolt 21 carries in a recesson thelower face a leaf spring 69 secured at its rear end .by a screw. When the breech :bolt is in its forward position the spring 69 is over the lifter, slightly off-center to the right, and in the path of the cartridge being carried in the recess 38. The counterclockwise (as viewed from the rear.) rotational movement of the lifter 3.3, caused by the spring Al and cable 53, is checked before the recess 38 has been brought to the top by engagement of the rim of the cartridge therein against the bottom of the spring 69. This resilient stop prevents damage to the cartridge and cushions the engagement.

The projection 36a on the ejector is positioned so that its right side is located slightly to the left of the center line for engaging the rim of a cartridge lying within the recess 38 when the latter is in its uppermost or loading position.

From the construction described it follows that the lifter 33 is urged continuously to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, but that when the breech bolt is in its forward position this rotation is checked before the recess 33 carrying a live cartridge has reached its uppermost or loading position. When the breech bolt is retracted (either manually, or as a result of the firing of a shot) it carries a cartridge by means of an extractor rearwardly out of the barrel (assuming the barrel to have been loaded), this cartridge being removed from the extractor and thrown laterally out through an opening on the right side of the receiver upon engaging the ejector. ;As soon as the front of the breechbolt has cleared the rim of the cartridge in the recess 38 the liftercompletes its rotation, turning through a small angle of approximately 20 to bring the rim of the live cartridge up against the side of the projection 38a of the ejector and in the'path of the breech bolt; it is now in its loading position.

When the recess carrying the live cartridge has thus been moved to its loading position a diametrically opposite recess 38 is moved into alignment with the front of the magazine, and a live cartridge is pushed into the recess by the action of the follower spring 64. This cartridge bears against the plunger 33, causing it to raise the front end of the cartridge at the top of the lifter. In this way the force of the follower spring, is reflected against the uppermost cartridge beneath the barrel bore only when "the rotation of the lifter has been completed and the bolt retracted.

When the bolt moves forward the lower, front edge thereof engages the cartridge on top of the lifter and pushes it forward. The cartridge rim moves upwardly, riding on the cam surfaces 38b to bring it to a substantially horizontal position in line with the barrel bore, and entirely clear of the lifter. In the embodiment shown, this position will be reached after the breech bolt-has moved about one third of the distance from the point at which the cartridge was first engaged to the back of the barrel. At this point in its forward travel the cartridge will also have cleared the forward end of projection 36a. The lifter 33 is now free to resume its turning, which commences while the bolt is completing its forward movement. During this turning the plunger 39 is projecting into the empty recess 38 which is descending on the left side of the lifter. This rotation is stopped by engagement of the next live cartridge with the spring 69, bringing the lifter to a gentler stop than would occur if the cartridge engaged a solid part of the breech bolt. Being brought to a stop before the empty recess 33 is in line with the magazine, the forwardmost cartridge in the magazine cannot enter the recess 38 and bring any pressure to bear on the plunger 39.

It is evident that certain changes may be made in the specific details of the feeding mechanism described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appendd c y W y of example, I may provide any equivalent means for rotating the lifter, and may change the number of recesses 38 in the lifter (for example, employing four lifters with two plungers 39 extending between diametrically opposite recesses). Also, the magazine may be formed of a different number of parts, and various equivalent means for controlling the pawl 65 may be substituted for the rod 58.

The magazine described herein forms the subject of a divisional application Ser. No. 166,930, filed June 8, 1950.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a repeating firearm, a barrel, a receiver to the rear thereof, a reciprocable breech bolt, a conical lifter having a plurality of substantially longitudinal recesses in the face thereof, each recess being adapted to receive a live cartridge to a depth less than the full diameter of the cartridge, the lifter being rotatably mounted clear of the breech bolt but near enough to deliver a live cartridge disposed within one of its recesses into the path of the breech bolt when the said recess is in a loading position, means for feeding live cartridges into said recesses at a point removed from said loading position, means for retating the lifter, and means for checkin the rotation of the lifter when a recess is in said leading position.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for rotating the lifter comprises a torsion spring, means for winding said spring, and means for transmitting torque from the spring to the lifter.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for rotating the lifter comprises a torsion spring disposed generally parallel to the barrel and forwardly of said lifter, a pair of coacting bevel gears, one connected to wind one end of the spring, and the other having its axis disposed substantially perpendicularly to the barrel and being provided with a pivotally mounted winding lever, and a flexible cable for transmitting torque from the other end of said spring to the lifter.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for checking the rotation of the lifter comprises a stop member on the receiver and located to engage a cartridge in said recess when said recess is in said loading position.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for checking the rotation of the lifter comprises an ejector fixed with respect to the receiver for ejecting empty cartridges from the breech bolt, said ejector having one side thereof disposed to engage the side of the rim of a cartridge in said recess when said recess is in said loading position.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the breech bolt is provided with resil- 12 ient means on the side thereof toward said lifter and adapted to be engaged by a live cartridge in one of said recesses and thereby resiliently check the rotation of the lifter before said recess is in its loading position.

7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the breech bolt is provided with a leaf spring presenting a face toward said lifter and adapted to be engaged by the rim of a live cartridge in one of said recesse and thereby resiliently check the rotation of the lifter before said recess is in its loading position.

8. The combination according to claim I. wherein the conical lifter is provided with a guide shell having a conical Wall for retaining live cartridges in said recess between the point at which such cartridge is fed into a recess and said loading position.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the lifter is provided with a bore connecting two recesses substantially at the bases thereof, and a plunger reciprocably mounted within said bore and having a length greater than the length of said bore, whereby pressure against a live cartridge being fed into one of said recesses will be reflected through said plunger on a cartridge in the other of said recesses.

10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for feeding live cartridges into said recesses is so located in relation to the spacing of said recesses in the lifter that such cartridges will be fed into an empty recess only when another recess is in loading position, and the lifter is provided with a bore connecting said two recesses substantially at the bases thereof and with a plunger reciprocably mounted within said bore and having a length greater than the length of said bore, whereby pressure against a live cartridge being fed into said empty recess will be reflected through said plunger against a cartridge in the other of said recesses.

11. A repeating firearm comprising, in combination, a barrel, a receiver to the rear thereof, a reciprocable breech bolt, a conical lifter mounted below said receiver with its smaller end towards the rear for rotation about an axi diverging downwardly and forwardly from the axis of the barrel, a plurality of longitudinal recesses in the face of said lifter, each recess being adapted to receive a live cartridge to a depth less than the full diameter of the cartridge, the lifter being rotatably mounted clear of the breech bolt but near enough to deliver a live cartridge disposed within one of its recesses into the path of the breech bolt when said recess is in a loading position, the rear end of each recess being deeper than the forward part to accommodate the rim of a cartridge, the side walls of each recess im mediately forward from said deeper part being inclined forwardly and outwardly from the recess to provide a cam surface tendin to lift the rim of the cartridge gradually out of the recess when said cartridge is moved forwardly with respect to the cartridge by the breech bolt, means for feeding live cartridges into said recesses at a point removed from said loading position and provided with resiliently tensioned means for urging said cartridge into said recesses, means for rotating the lifter, means for checking the rotation of the lifter when a recess is in said loading position, a bore in said lifter connecting a recess in said loading position with a recess at said point removed from said loading position, said bore connecting the bases of said recesses at points spaced forwardly from the midpoints thereof, and a 13 plunger reciprocably mounted Within said bore having a length greater than the length of said bore, whereby the force of said resiliently tensioned means is reflected through the live car- 1 tridge fed into a recess and through said plunger to the live cartridge in the recess in said loading position and the forward end of said latter cartridge is lifted from its groove in the lifter.

12. A repeating shoulder rifle comprising, in combination, a barrel, a receiver to the rear thereof, a reoiprocable breech bolt, a stock, an elongated, box-type magazine within an elongated hole within the stock open at the butt end thereof, said magazine being removable and insertible only through said opening, and adapted to contain live cartridges with their noses downwardly, a conical lifter mounted below said receiver and forwardly of said magazine with its smaller end toward the rear for rotation about an axis diverging downwardly and forwardly from the axis of the barrel, a plurality of longitudinal recesses in the face of said lifter arranged in diametrically opposite relation, each recess being adapted to receive a live cartridge from said magazine to a depth less than the full diameter of said cartridge, resiliently tensioned means associated with said magazine for discharging live cartridges therefrom into recesses in said lifter, the lifter being rotatably mounted clear of the breech bolt but near enough to deliver a live cartridge disposed in one of its recesses into the path of the breech bolt when said recess is in a loading position, a bore within said lifter connecting the bases of diametrically opposite recesses, a plunger reciprocably mounted within said bore, means for rotating the lifter, and means for checking the rotation of the lifter when a recess i in said loading position.

13. As a subcombination, a conical lifter for repeating firearms comprising a cone adapted for rotational mounting about its axis, a plurality of diametrically disposed recesses extending longitudinally on the faces of said cone, each recess being adapted to receive a live cartridge to a depth less than the full diameter of said cartridge, a groove at the base of each recess toward the smaller end of the cone adapted to receive the rim of said cartridge, the sides of each of said recesses being widened near said groove to conform to the circular shape of said rim, said widened portions being diminished toward the larger end of the cone to provide a camming surface causing a cartridge rim to be gradually lifted from its recess when moved toward the larger end of the cone, a bore connecting the bases of diametrically opposite recesses at points spaced from said grooves, and a plunger having a length greater than the length of said bore reciprocally mounted therein for lifting the forward end of a cartridge from its recess.

14. The lifter according to claim 13 wherein the plunger has an intermediate, cut-away portion, and is retained within its bore by a pin extending transversely thereto a portion of said pin occupying said cut-away portion of the plunger.

CLYDE E. BRUSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,437,543 Ortgies Dec. 5, 1922 2,422,532 Dehm June 17, 1947 2,441,735 Warner May 18, 1948 2,448,081 Conway Aug. 31, 1948 

